Active discussions

Help protect children from gaming harms.

Take our survey

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

Austyn for a girl?

322 replies

Martha300 · 20/09/2023 01:06

Me and DH both love unisex names and Austyn happens to be our number one name for DD at the moment. Mother in law absolutely loathes the name and suggests we give her something more traditional and feminine for a girl like Catherine or Eliza etc. but we’re both set on Austyn. But to be fair we will give her a traditional middle name, so she’ll be something along the lines of Austyn Elizabeth or Austyn Marie to satisfy mothers in law’s wishes. We’ve decided on the spelling Austyn as opposed to Austin for a feminine touch. Other names we loved but decided against are Logan, Dylan, Robyn, and Riley.

Now, DH isn’t 100 percent sure if Austyn is the right name as Austyn was my idea first so we would like to hear your honest opinions on our chosen name.

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
Victoriwa · 21/09/2023 02:46

Honestly? What is there to say that your bebe won't want to change their name in its entirety once they are legally able to do so?? I think MIL needs to take her appointed seat and celebrate the fact that her grandchild will be honoured with the same family name that she, herself, bears. So perhaps dominance over the first name might be a stretch too far, no??

We also gave a relatively gender-neutral first name to our son. The second name was also a traditionally 'masculine' name, and I also consented to our son bearing my husband's surname (I didn't ever bother changing my name once we'd married!).

Obviously, it is ultimately up to you and your spouse to decide upon the registered names, but should you wish to 'diplomatically' ask MIL to step back, then perhaps the surname-for-her Vs the first-middle-names for you and your partner - you essentially could argue that you all get one name each then!!

(I STILL don't think she has any authority, or right, in this, or any other, situation when it concerns your child; not hers)... Good luck 💞

elifont · 21/09/2023 01:37

@Titchyfeep Charlie is probably my favourite name for both. But it was always short for Charles or Charlotte, and became an equally used nickname that is now used as a proper name. But Austyn will be assumed a male name for long while yet. It's a great name really and people are fine once they know it, but the kid will always have that issue explaining name spelling and sex to everyone new

CallieQ · 21/09/2023 01:07

Nope

Hatty123 · 21/09/2023 01:03

Sorry but what a Horrible name. I teach and have 3 kids… if I came across that name in any context I’d be thinking “pretentious / chavvy parents” and “poor child having that as a name”. Ghastly. Harsh sounding. Makes everyone think of Austin Powers and the Car… silly spelling which makes it into a non- name…
It’s like calling your child “John” but wanting to be unique and changing it to “Jobn” … the Y just makes it a nonsense and it’s a horrid name to begin with. Don’t do it to this poor baby. She will grow up hating it and probably wanting to change it.

MyAnacondaMight · 21/09/2023 00:47

Everybody’s so creative.

The name is fine, but the spelling isn’t.

VitoCorleoneOfMNMafia · 21/09/2023 00:28

AlexaCanYouHearMe · 20/09/2023 23:09

It looks (at first glance) like another word. I would rather not say what. 😬 But it begins with the same 2 letters and also has a T in it, and has a similar amount of letters. I feel she may be called names, and have people using this other word... to mock her name.

Just NO @Martha300 Don't use this name - for a GIRL, and not this weird spelling.

Autumn? Austere? Autism? August?

momtoboys · 21/09/2023 00:26

Putting a random “y” in a traditionally male name does not make it feminine. Or unisex.

Butterflywings2 · 21/09/2023 00:23

Like the name, dislike the spelling. :)

VitoCorleoneOfMNMafia · 21/09/2023 00:19

No.

She'll spend her life spelling it and her childhood getting "groovy" and "yeah baby yeah" comments from the other kids.

Alexandra, Charlotte, Samantha, Charlene, Joanne, Danielle, Frederique, Georgina, Georgette, Julianne, Nichola, Olivia, Victoria all shortern to unisex "pet" forms.

Fab973 · 21/09/2023 00:16

Awful name. Stupid spelling

don’t do it to her

ClairDeLaLune · 21/09/2023 00:09

Awful. Don’t do it. Altered spellings are chavvy and your poor daughter would always having to be correcting the spelling. It’s the name of an old car first, a city in Texas second, and a (not particularly nice) boy’s name third. Please don’t saddle your daughter with it just to be different. Would you like to be called it?

CrappyBarbara · 20/09/2023 23:59

If you absolutely must use this name please at least reconsider the absurd spelling.

CharlotteBog · 20/09/2023 23:47

Titchyfeep · 20/09/2023 23:41

My daughter is Charlie. It has never affected her and no one has every said she has a boys name. When she was younger people always asked me if she was really a Charlotte and seemed outraged when I told them no.

Show quote history

I think this is because Charlie is a very, very well known diminutive of Charlotte, so people will assume she has Charlotte on her birth certificate.
I understand that she doesn't, but that doesn't change the fact that Charlie/Charli is a well known name for girls.

The same does not apply for Austyn.

localnotail · 20/09/2023 23:44

My Austin Ambassador Y reg, Y reg, Y reg
My Austin Ambassador Y reg -is a car that I revere
My Austin Ambassador Y reg, Y reg, Y reg
Don’t keep asking me why, Reg
It just happens to be that year

am I the first one showing my age? ))

Blueink · 20/09/2023 23:43

The other names you mentioned are all fine

CharlotteBog · 20/09/2023 23:42

AlexaCanYouHearMe · 20/09/2023 23:36

Now that DEFINITELY sounds like an old banger car from the 1970s! Austyn Marie! 😆

Show quote history

Austin Maxi's girlfriend maybe. Maxi and Marie.

Titchyfeep · 20/09/2023 23:41

MrsTerryPratchett · 20/09/2023 01:16

My daughter is Charlotte but just goes by Charlie and it doesn't seem to have hurt her to have a 'boys name'.

She has two options (at least). Very different to just giving a boys' name.

My daughter is Charlie. It has never affected her and no one has every said she has a boys name. When she was younger people always asked me if she was really a Charlotte and seemed outraged when I told them no.

Blueink · 20/09/2023 23:41

Sounds like a car and has a weird spelling, sorry OP

AlexaCanYouHearMe · 20/09/2023 23:36

Bey · 20/09/2023 23:35

I really like it, I love gender neutral names, both my children have them.

I like how Austyn Marie sounds, it has a nice flow to it

Now that DEFINITELY sounds like an old banger car from the 1970s! Austyn Marie! 😆

Bey · 20/09/2023 23:35

I really like it, I love gender neutral names, both my children have them.

I like how Austyn Marie sounds, it has a nice flow to it

CharlotteBog · 20/09/2023 23:33

Austin is a spectacularly crap brand of cars

Eh! My first car was an Austin Allegro.
But yeah....when I get over the warm, fluffy feelings of nostalgia I do have to acknowledge that it was indeed crap!

Seddon · 20/09/2023 23:33

JustAnotherCheeseburger · 20/09/2023 23:12

It will always be "Austyn with a Y", never just Austyn. Do you like "Austyn with a Y"?

That was my thought too.

What exactly is the point of picking a boy's name then bastardising the spelling in an attempt to 'make it feminine'? Just pick a feminine name?

Redmat · 20/09/2023 23:27

Peta ? Sounds like a boys name.
Had one in my class years ago. Only Peta I've ever met.

Lauz841 · 20/09/2023 23:25

I don't love it, and I really don't like the Y. If you really have to have Austin, I'd just go with Austin and own it. But then be prepared for her to be constantly mistaken for male. My daughter is called Robin, and people who know she's a girl write Robyn, and those who read it think she's a boy. I chose that spelling because she was named after the bird, I thought it was unisex but I may have been wrong! 🤣

Blinky21 · 20/09/2023 23:24

If you are in the US you might get away with it, but in the UK it seems really tacky, sorry